Top 10 Tips for Optimizing Your Minecraft Server Performance

Optimize your Minecraft Server with Gravel Host

Running a Minecraft server can be a rewarding experience, but ensuring it runs smoothly for all players requires some optimization. Whether you’re hosting a small server for friends or a large public server, optimizing performance can improve gameplay, reduce lag, and enhance the overall experience. Here are the top 10 ways to optimize your Minecraft server:

#10 Monitor Server Performance
Keep an eye on server performance using monitoring tools:

• - Monitoring Tools: Use tools like mcmyadmin or Pterodactyl for server management and performance monitoring.
• - Logs and Metrics: Regularly review server logs for errors and performance issues. Tools like Timings, available with PaperMC, help analyze performance metrics.

#9 Regular Backups and Maintenance
Regularly back up your server and perform maintenance:

• - Backups: Use automated backup tools or scripts to save your server’s world and configurations.
• - Maintenance: Regularly restart your server and check for performance issues or errors.

#8 Optimize Java Settings
Minecraft servers run on Java, so optimizing Java settings can improve performance:

• - Use the Latest Java Version: Ensure you’re using the latest version of Java (Java 17 is recommended for Minecraft).
• - Adjust JVM Arguments: Optimize Java memory allocation and garbage collection with settings like -Xmx and -XX:+UseG1GC.

#7 Use a Dedicated Servers
For serious server hosting, consider using dedicated CPU cores or VPS (Virtual Private Server) instead of shared hosting. A dedicated server provides more resources and better performance.

#6 Limit the Number of Plugins
While plugins add functionality, too many can slow down your server. Regularly review and remove unused or redundant plugins to optimize performance.

#5 Adjust View Distance
The view distance determines how many chunks are loaded around players. Reducing this can lower server load:

• 1. Open server.properties.
• 2. Adjust the view-distance setting to a lower value (e.g., 6 or 8).

Note: This will reduce the visible area but improve performance.

#4 Optimize Your World
Large worlds with excessive entities can slow down your server. Consider:

• Regular Maintenance:
  Use tools like MCA Selector to prune unused chunks and reduce world size.
• Entity Management:
  Limit the number of entities (mobs, animals) using plugins or commands.

#3 Use Performance-Enhancing Plugins
Plugins can help optimize server performance:

• PaperMC: A high-performance fork of Spigot that provides numerous performance improvements and customization options.
• ClearLag: Reduces lag by automatically removing excess entities and optimizing performance.
• EssentialsX: Offers a suite of performance and administrative tools.

#2 Optimize Server Properties
Tuning the server.properties file can improve performance:

• view-distance: Lower this setting to reduce the number of chunks loaded around each player (e.g., set to 6).
• max-tick-time: Increase this value to avoid timeouts during heavy processing (e.g., set to 60000).
• max-players: Set this to the number of players you expect to minimize unnecessary load.

#1 Allocate Sufficient RAM
Minecraft servers need ample memory to function efficiently. Allocate more RAM to your server based on the number of players and the world size:

• 1. Locate your server's startup script or control panel.
• 2. Adjust the -Xmx and -Xms parameters to allocate more RAM (e.g., -Xmx8G for 8GB of RAM).
• 3. Ensure your server has enough free RAM to handle this allocation.

Tip: More RAM isn’t always better; balance it with your system’s total available memory.